Spirit Protector
by Nekoise
Summary: CanadaxReader and possibly more! America and Reader go into a "haunted house" to join the seniors' clique. What they don't know is the house really is haunted! Between a young boy, his caretaker, and a mischievous girl, ghosts frolic about as reader and America try to escape!
1. Bonnefoy Manor

The old Bonnefoy Manor stood before her, its' decrepit, rotting boards were aged grey since it was built and painted who knows who many decades ago. It seemed impossible that such a beautiful that such a beautiful house could've ever shared the same space as this disgusting dump. And that's what brought the young woman and her friend here today.

"A-al, I don't know about this…"

"Oh, come on, you aren't _scared_ are you?" His right blue eyes were shining brightly, even in the dark of night which the two stood in. He was so excited for this new adventure that his knuckles began to whiten as he tightened his grip on the flashlight he held. He was definitely more excited than the young girl standing there. But she couldn't let him know that.

"N-no!" she attempted to mask her fear with a façade, a face of denial that her friend wasn't bright enough to see past. She glared at her slightly obnoxious friend who had received what he called "The Challenge" from the seniors at the school they began to attend just a month ago as freshmen. The challenge to enter the so-called "haunted" old mansion at the edge of town, the one that got him "in" with the seniors. He had impulsively accepted the challenge, but she guessed he was too scared to go on his own and included you in his endeavor. You could hardly believe the offer to be true, anyway. "I'm not scared of any old haunted house."

"Awesome!" He grinned and pointed to the mansion, then made a sweeping motion at the house, a motion to direct one into the old mansion. "_Ladies first_."

She stared for a moment in disbelief, though deep down, she knew that he would try something like this.

"Dude, the seniors taught me this was part of this 'shovelry' thing. Isn't that friggin' badass?"

"_Chivalry_, Al, and right now this is the opposite of it anway!"

"Aw, you gotta be kidding me! You said you weren't t even scared, either." He grinned evilly as he poked a hole in her denial. His blue eyes moved from her to the mansion, to the mansion and back and she cringed a little, knowing all too well what was going to happen. Al's puppy-dog eyes came into effect and stared deeply into yours. She tried to move her flashlight's beam away from his face and look away, but the young blonde was not swayed. He followed the shaft of light wherever she pointed it until she switched off the light. But even then, he pointed his light towards his face.

"A-al, come on…" The girl knew how futile it was to resist the eyes that could melt her heart even in the epitome of her rage such as she found out through their friendship spanning many years.

He whimpered in reply.

"Al!" Her resistance was slipping.

"Please? Come on, dude…Please?"

She bit her lip, still vainly trying to retain her sternness.

"I'll be right behind you," the young man promised.

She grumbled a little, finally giving in.

"All right!" Al jumped up with a yell only to be shushed angrily.

"A-al, it's almost midnight! You'll w—"

"What, wake up all the spooooooky ghooooosts? You know how far we are from the nearest house? WAAAAY too far for anyone to hear us!" He laughed and wiggled his fingers before her, as if to simultaneously insinuate and mock paranormal activity of some kind.

"…W-well…it's just not polite…" The young woman grumbled.

"Then let's just go!" The boy took off wildly towards the house in excitement, apparently forgetting his fear in favor of stupidity. Again.

"Al!" Only hesitating a moment, she decided to dash out after him, up the stairs, and into the residence. She couldn't just let Al in there all alone!

**Meanwhile**

In the bushes, two young men were nearly toppled over laughing while a third looked mildly concerned and lost in thought. The first out of the other two finally began to regain some composure, and in a moment had enough to talk.

"Zhat was sho aweshome! Almost as aweshome as me! They both totally ran in there just because we told zhem to!" The first boy's scarlet eyes almost glowed with mischievousness as he brushed some moss out of his snow white hair.

"_Oui_!" The second boy could just begin to reply as his laughter weakened as well, his long blonde hair also getting moss and twigs caught in the luscious golden strands as he regained his breath on the ground. "I cannot believe they ran into zat dilapidated old 'ouse!"

The two burst into a fresh fit of laughter as the third stared with guilty green eyes at the house before them. "I don't know, _chicos_, they looked pretty scared…Are you sure that house is really safe..? It looks really old…"

The albino sat up a little, wiping a tear from his eye. "You worry too much, Annie! Zhey will be fine! It's just an old house."

The blonde glanced at the worried one with sky-blue eyes. "_Oui_, what iz ze worst zat could 'appen, anyway?"

The brunette starred worriedly towards the portal where the two had disappeared through.

"That is just what I was thinking about…"


	2. Darkened Twists

Inside the mansion, it was nearly pitch black. The glow from the pair's flashlight was the only thing that pierced the dank void. It was cold as well, and the young woman shivered, even under all her warm clothes she prepared herself with. She shined her light towards her friend to reveal him walking deeper into the mansion. "A-Alfred, you get back here!"

The teenage boy seemed to discard his stupidity for curiosity as he slowly made his way to the middle of the tall room. The two shone their lights about, revealing the large area of the foyer. Two larges staircases curved upwards towards the second floor who's hallway became a balcony high up above the first floor when it left the confines of its' walls, though what lied beyond was consumed by darkness that the small beams of light could not penetrate. Curved handrails had long since lost the beauty of their intricate designs and details across the banister of the second floor, as well as up the stairwell that lay before the duo.

The floor they stood on now creaked and moaned beneath their feet as rotting wood worked to support their weight. A huge circular rug lay underneath before them, it's once beautiful patterns now soiled, ridden with mold and entirely eaten away in some spots by moths. A tall pair of mysterious double doors stretched upwards to the balcony between the stairways, towering over the two on the other side of the room.

"Dude…" Alfred stared around the large room in awe, speechless for the first time in his life. "This place…is…frikkin' huge…"

"A-and really old…" The young woman added, staring at the walls once white circling around her, almost giving a feeling of closing in when she pulled her light away in the darkness. "W-we should be here…This feels…wrong…and it sounds like the place will collapse any time now…"

"Scared, aren't you~? I knew you would be!"

The young woman looked back towards her friend who, even as he mocked her, was shivering so hard, it was visible in what little stream of light flew from her flashlight several feet away.

"At least I'm not the only one," she comforted herself out loud and poked fun at her friend at once. She stuck out her tongue, hoping the joke and the atmosphere created by it would be enough to life the fear she felt growing within her from the grotesque manor surrounding her.

"N-no, I'm not scared!" the boy grumbled, his ego wounded. However, his trembling managed to worm its' way into his voice.

"Then why the shivering?"

"B-because I'm cold, that's why!" His weak lie could hardly make sense anyway, even if it wasn't thin as tissue paper. The both of them were clad in warm jackets and gloves, and even boots, an outfit the girl had to almost force onto the boy who even on the way to the manor occasionally grumbled about leaving his WWII bomber jacket behind.

By this time, the girl had finally gathered the courage to step forth from the door she had entered into the large room for a better view of the house holding her, and so she could step closer towards another human for comfort. But to her dismay, the moment she stepped nearer the boy, he began to wander around the room again, slowly moving towards the door.

"I-I'm so frikkin' cold!" He repeated, and as the words left his lips, an idea lit up his face. "I got it!" He turned to the girl. "Wanna race? Finish line is my place."

"R-race?" The girl was dumbfounded. Running? Now? It was an idea, and would heat him up if he were really cold, but…It didn't seem to be the best one. Especially if Al's dad woke up at the winning cry of the victor, and heard the two were out so late. "Now?"

"Duh, next week." The boy rolled his eyes as sarcasm dripped from his words. "No, right now! It'll totally warm us up. Oh! Oh! And the loser has to by McDonalds for the loser! Food and warmth! Perfect combo, if I do say so myself." After polishing his nails on his coat, he began to jump around a little in excitement, ready to receive a prize he would probably win. The floor protested beneath his feet.

"W-well maybe…" Al's friend tried to begin, but was cut off as he dashed from the middle of the room towards the door, the thought of nothing but food on his mind. She began to follow him towards the way out, eager to be out of the unpleasant area.

However, the young woman would never forget the actions that transpired in those next few moments. It is still a wonder how something that happens so fast can so drastically affect a situation.

She could never forget the sound of wood crackling beneath Al's feet, or the sound of it giving way. She would never forget the sheer panic she felt at that moment as she froze up in place. She would never forget the yelp, then screech that exited Al's lungs as he plummeted down, down into darkness that her light could never see down far enough. She would never forget how the floor continued to fall before her, and how it consumed the boards that led to her only ways out she knew of, the windows and door.

She would never forget that single moment.

**Meanwhile**

The trio bolted upright from the bushes, a different expression carved into each countenance at a noise none of them had ever heard the likes of before. The blonde wore a look of confusion, the albino's face held an expression of disbelief, and the brunette sported a look of horror unmatched by anything the three had seen before.

"_Sacre bleu!_ What was zat crash!?"

"_Vas_ do you think it vas, Fan?! A mosquito landink on zhe floor?!" His sarcasm was his first line of defense in his horror. "It…Z-zhe kids probably just knocked over a stupid statue or somezhink."

"W-well, how could I know?! It was a zerious question, anyway! What if zey are 'urt?!"

"Oh really? W-well-"

"…"

Betwixt the bickering of Francis and Gilbert, Antionio stared desperately at the house as he scoured the windows for any sign of life, and form of movement anywhere. His usually tan skin began to pale so to gain the envy of ivory, and his eyes widened at the lack of movement anywhere and the missing beams of light. Even if he could see clearly, he still couldn't make out anything in the dark velvet of night.

"_Chicos_! I can't see them at all..! "_Los ellos son_ gone!"

"Vell I ou-_V-vas_?" The pseudo-German quit his argument at the Spaniard's announcement. "_Vas_ do you mean gone?!"

"_Mio Dio…_Wh-what are we going to do?! Th-they could be hurt or in danger or-"

"Dead..."

A look of horror overcame all the emotions of the trio as this dark truth fell upon them, realized aloud by the Frenchman, as they all suddenly felt the true sinking gravity of this situation, or at least the very possible worst case scenario that was all too possible.

"W-we have to do something! Wh-what do we do?!" Francis began to panic. "W-we could 'ave killed them! Th-the police w-will look for my family, i-it's our old house, then they will find me out!" He began to tear up. "I'm too beautiful for jail!"

Gilbert clapped his hand over the now hyperventilating and weeping Frenchman's mouth. "You won't go to jail! Zhey coult prove nozhink, anyvay, and we didn't kill zhem. I-if they are dead." He added hastily.

"B-but we could just admit-" The concerned brunette began.

"But if ve don't, zhere ish no trouble." A dark and cruel look creped through crimson eyes.

"G-gil, you aren't suggesting-!"

"_Ja_, I am. Let's get out of here, someone else can find zhem. Like Fran said, we can't let ourshelves get caught. Zhey are probably fine!"

Silence fell over the group. The thought of leaving the freshman was cruel, but the police would probably catch wind of the incident somehow, or they could escape on their own. Or they could just their cell phones…Each came up with ways that they couldn't be blamed for the crime, and comforting thoughts were created to stifle guilt.

At this insight, one, then the other two figures left the bushes and began running towards town out of the bushes, abandoning the haunted manor and the two trapped within.


	3. A Lonely Boy

Spirit Protector

Ch.3

Large violet eyes opened. A young boy nearing his fifth birthday slowly and sleepily sat up in his bed. He yawned and stretched, getting ready to face his day. The child glanced towards his window to grasp an idea of what time it was by inspecting a sunrise, but he was surprised to be greeted by the thick darkness of night outside his window. The stars and moon were still clearly visible, a sight he was not used to seeing as he was usually asleep during this time.

He blinked twice in processing the night to regain his composure, and then shivered. He was ever so slightly spooked of the dark, and felt worse when he realized there wasn't sufficient light to read the book of nursery rhymes his nana usually read to him that resting upon his nightstand. The boy sat at the edge of his bed in his white nightgown, his feet dangling over his bedside, ignoring that the mattress had long fallen apart.

Pushing himself to the dirty floor, the child tried to guess what woke him up so much earlier…or later than usual He grabbed his white polar bear plush from the bed, it's pure white fur catching and expelling what little light could be found in the dark room and appeared nearly luminescent, just as the little boy's nightgown was. All that was lit in the derelict room was only what could've lasted decades from his time until now, revealing the remnants of stained wallpaper once covered in curious colorful patters and animals, several metal toys and tin soldiers, and even a few abandoned playthings the little boy's caretaker scavenged off the street outside their home.

The little boy quitted his room and walked down the hallway, still hypothesizing a probable cause for his awakening. A habit that had never died down even after all these years, the lonely child reached up and began twirling a lock of hair around his finger, which had since then caused the hair to naturally curl in just the one lock. He held his bear in one hand and twirled a lock of hair with another, and came to a conclusion: thirst had woken him up. Assuming so, he began to work his way downstairs to the kitchen, searching for someone to help him in his quest.

"Nana?" His small, nearly whispery voice barely broke the silence surrounding him. "Nana?"

Without a reply, he had no choice to continue his trek alone. He descended a first flight of stairs then another, and as he neared the foyer, he heard the voice of a young woman he had never met before. A young woman was collapsed to her knees on the floor in the middle of the downstairs foyer. She was staring at a giant gaping abyss before her and the door, a hole that the boy had never seen before.

Curiosity taking hold, the boy hurried down the stairs and stood behind the girl, hugging his bear closely. He looked from the distraught young woman to his bear and back again, lost in thought before nodding in confirmation and holding out his bear to her back, an offering of sympathy and tenderness he had seen his caretaker often present, and he had often accepted.

She simply remained sitting, as if she didn't even notice the boy standing behind her. Her lack of reaction confused him. Again, he attempted to hold out the bear, thrusting it forward, slightly concerned, and attempted to bump her back with the toy.

His eyes widened as the bear passed directly through the young woman, and he could only stare in shock as his arms and hands phased through her as well.

She shivered, and then looked around, a mixture of fright and confusion filling her eyes.

"_P…parlezous Frances_?' The young boy attempted to communicate with the mysterious visitor in his favorite language first, his naturally quiet voice even quieter.

"H-hello? Is anyone there?"

"Oh!" He took quick note of his guest's language and switched. "S-so you speak…"

His voice trailed off as he noticed that, though she looked back towards him, she had no look of registration of his existence. Her gaze seemed to pass over and past him. He darted around to her front and waved a hand in front of her, striving to gain her attention, but got no response. "M-miss?"

"Please, is _anyone_ there?!" He tone was beginning to become flustered, and the boy could tell that she wasn't just ignoring him. It was obvious that she wanted to see _someone_…But could she not see him?

Was he…invisible?

N-no, that couldn't be. He was just a normal little boy, ready to celebrate his fifth birthday, right? He couldn't be invisible. Sure, he was so quiet he was hard to find or hear, and his shyness made it difficult to remember, by but it should still be possible for her to see him, while he was right in front of her…right?

**Meanwhile**

Fear continued to eat and worm its' way into her stomach as she felt helplessness sink in. It was cold, dark, and the only way out was through the mansion; somehow she had to find a window or a door, some way to escape…But she knew not where to find any other than the inaccessible ones before her.

She was too afraid to move from her spot on the floor. Who knows where the floor is and isn't dangerous anymore? She could just as easily fall through as Al, then if they were both injured, neither of them would ever make it out.

Not only that, but she was beginning to get chills, and she felt as though someone was watching her, maybe even in the same room as her. As if she weren't alone.

Standing up, she looked back at the foyer, searching for an alternate route out of the house. The great double doors between the stairways seemed to be the safest way to go. There was no way she was climbing any levels higher if the possibility of falling through the floor existed, possibly even two floors or more! Taking a step forward, chills ran through her body yet again, and she started off on her search for safety.

Not only did she want to get out, but she knew she had to get out, for Al's sake. She needed to call for help. She vowed as she began walking to do so, and with an important task resting upon her shoulders, she set out on her mission.

Failure was _not_ an option.

**Meanwhile**

The albino's footsteps slowed and he looked back towards the giant mannor he had just abandoned. "Hey! Vere is Antonio?"

The Frenchman stopped and glanced back as well. "A-antonio..?"

The duo spotted the missing part of their trio who stood staring at the house where his so-called friends had abandoned two poor freshmen.

He furrowed his brow in thought, and contemplated back and forth several different thoughts and ideas that passed through his mind. Guilt washed over his face finally as he started towards the building, his mind made up.


	4. Spiritual Protectors

Spirit Protector

Ch. 4

The girl nervously yet cautiously, picked her way across the foyer to the large double doors ahead of her. They young boy followed her closely, curiosity coming from him in waves, brightening his almost luminescent being. He simply couldn't remember seeing a new face in his home for…a long, long times…

With what should have been a soft pitter-patter of feet silenced, he sped up his pace slightly to walk a little before her and inspect her face more closing while walking. She looked scared and upset, and a feeling of dread draped upon her countenance. She looked a little lost in mind and body, and her inwardly cowering form showed her fear.

He thought hard about what he could do.

"What does nana do..?" he pondered aloud. His nana had an amazing and nearly magical way of always making him feel better, even when he was in the worst of moods. She could figure out how to cheer this girl up. What does she usually do?

He gasped a little as an idea popped into his head and he nearly glowed brighter in excitement.

"Miss! Miss! Would you like some pancakes?" He beamed, proud of his million-dollar idea; when nana made him pancakes, he could never frown.

The girl continued walking, still unaware of his presence, and he frowned. That was right; she couldn't see or hear him…for some odd reason. What could he possibly do..? For the moment, all he could do was follow her and keep trying to talk to her.

**Meanwhile**

A young woman with long, bright hazel hair held back with a green bandana was wielding a skillet as she crept into the basement, slowly descending the long stairs. Her emerald eyes filled with fear. Some kind of loud noise had awakened her from her sleep, and she had been stunned to see a gaping hole in front of the door in the foyer. There was no way the floor could just give way so violently by itself, and she had a child to care for in this house.

She clenched the handle of the skillet tightly. She had a mission to complete, and that was protecting the young one. She stepped to the floor guardedly and stared at the enormous pile of wreckage that lay before her.

She looked to the top and froze in terror, unable to pull her eyes away from what she saw: a single leg was jutting out from the mountain of rubble. And it wasn't moving.

Her motherly instincts kicked in as she dashed full speed towards the pile of debris and she began to throw rocks away, revealing the body of a teenage boy. Panic set in further as she realized that he was so young, and that he wasn't moving. However, that panic was easily quelled as she held her fingers to his neck and felt a pulse. After she pulled his body from near the pile, her hands nearly began to phase through his body as she relaxed.

Sighing in relief, she fell back beside him near the pile of rocks. The boy was alive, so it seemed, but…that didn't explain why he was in Bonnefoy Manor. She'd never even seen his face before…What was he doing here?

First things first, she made sure he was comfortable as he could be on the floor of the basement. Her energy was absolutely drained after this ordeal, and she had almost no strength left to stay tangible.

Since her death only God knew how long ago, the young woman had become very good at controlling the few abilities she possessed as a non-corporeal spirit. Still, her strength was only the most active at times of stress and panic, and accessing the power to move objects so big was otherwise a struggle. She again signed and sad up next to him, unsure of the next step in this process.

Many times before she had scared away potential pranksters or threats from the Manor in her past or post lives, but never had she come across a similar situation. After a moment of thinking, she decided to simply wait with the teen until she regained the strength to do anything besides moving, and he regained consciousness. Although, she was still very concerned for her poor little Matthew, she couldn't abandon any injured child.

Besides…This boy was still alive.


	5. A Separated Trio

Spirit Protector

Ch. 5

"Antonio, _vas_ do you zhink you are doink?!"

The brunette ignored his albino friend's exasperated interjection as he held the door handle to Bonnefoy Manor. Twice more did the loud one repeat his question before Antonio bothered to respond.

"I'm going in, I'm scared for them." His tone was oddly serious for his usually air-headed and bubbly personality. Only stunned for a minute, Gilbert quickly recollected himself and put a hand on Antonio's, slowly prying his fingers from the door. "Ja, I'm scaret, for zhem, too, but—"

"No, Gil, you are not at all! You're scared for yourself!" The Spaniard slapped the Pseudo-German's hand away. "You are not scared for them at all! You're only scared for yourself!"

The albino looked disgusted. "Worriet? About mienshelf? Of course I am! But still, I'm scaret for them!"

"No, you aren't even guilty." Antonio fixed an angry gaze upon his once friend, silencing his words. "You feel bad, and you just want to avoid getting punished. You're afraid for yourself, not for the lives of the two kids in that house!"

Gilbert was genuinely taken aback at the sudden harsh words and couldn't, for once in his life, find a sarcastic reply to give or a snappy comment to make. He stared, his mouth agape, while Antonio began to push the door open. A quiet voice spoke once, unintelligible, then grew louder.

"Zhere eez someone in zat window."

The previously arguing members of the trio looked around, then back at their blonde friend who had been forgotten in their harsh exchange of words. He was staring up at the windows on the second floor, his voice slightly hose and his skin pale, his blue orbs filled with fear, terror, and confusion.

"V-vas—I mean, see? Zhere's fine! No neet to be vorriet at all, see, Antonio?" Gilbert laughed not just at his friend's just paranoia, but his own fears.

"…But I don't recognize 'er."

Gilbert's laughter stopped abruptly as he registered the words. "V-vas?"

"I did not recognize 'er!" The Frenchman repeated.

"Q-que?!" Any hostility towards Gilbert melted away from Antonio's green eyes as the energy that had moments ago been rage melted and relit in his eyes as concern and passion, and he felt a sudden burst of energy come forth. The thought of a stranger possibly endangering the lives of these freshmen was too much for him to handle, and an inspiration that saves lives filled his mind and body. "W-we've got to help them!"

This time, Gilbert could do nothing to stop Antonio from thrusting his hand to the handle and throwing the door inward. Immediately, he attempted to take a step into the building, but cried out in horror and gripped the handle for dear life as a dark emptiness opened before him. He clung to the door, staring down into the void, and almost thought he could glimpse a flickering light before he felt a friend grab his collar and yank him back to safety. Once Antonio was safe, Gilbert stuck his head into the building and stared down into the pitch blackness.

"Vell…Zhat woult explain zhe noise…"

Francis yelped as he peeked into the darkness as well. "Mon Dieu! What 'appened 'ere?!"

Gilbert began to back away from the house, away to safety and from the hole that seemed to want to eat him alive. A realization dawned upon him, and his eyes widened as his skin became paler than even he was used to. "…Z…zhey fell…"

The three remained silent as the thought settled into their minds, shock overcoming each of them. Slowly, the Frenchman panicked hyperventilating grew, and broke the silence. Antonio and Gilbert could do nothing but stare at one another, hoping each would know what to do, hoping one would have an answer. Gilbert broke the gaze as his eyes shifted back and forth, trying to find others surrounding him, as if paranoid.

In a half second, the albino spun on his heel and took off running at full speed, panic and fear taking over his mind. Adrenaline was giving him the power to run at near super-human speeds as he dashed off into the darkness, his only idea that he could make up in this time of confusion.

"Gilbert!" Antonio's cry did nothing to stop the retreating Pseudo-German. "Gilbert!"

As the form disappeared into the night, Antonio sighed, but the moment of even this melancholy calm was disrupted by a thud behind him. The Spaniard whipped around worriedly to see what could have created this noise, and saw his last remaining friend. Francis had, since Gilbert's retreat, gone quiet, his hyperventilating was silenced and he fainted, falling to the porch as the stress of the situation was more that the romantic could handle. Antonio quickly and best he could tried to see if there were any injuries, and was relieved to find no signs of blood anywhere, but had no idea what else might've gone wrong.

The relief of that moment could last him only a second, as he sank down onto the porch next to his unconscious friend and buried his face into his hands. He shook his head slowly as the stress began to overwhelm him as well.

With one unconscious friend, and another running away from the problem they all had to share, he had no idea what to do.


End file.
